USamyela Wesibili 2:1-32
2 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, uDavida wabuza uJehova+ wathi: “Ngikhuphuke na ngiye kwelinye lamadorobho wakwaJuda?” UJehova wathi kuye: “Khuphuka.” UDavida wabuza wathi: “Ngiye kiliphi?” Wamphendula wathi: “ERhebroni.”+
2 Yeke uDavida wakhuphukela lapho nabafazi bakhe ababili, u-Arhinowami+ weJizriyela no-Abigeyili+ umhlolokazi kaNabhali umKarameli.
3 UDavida wathatha nabantu bakhe,+ omunye nomunye bekanomndenakhe, bahlala emadorobheni abhode iRhebroni.
4 Ngemva kwalokho, abantu bakwaJuda beza, bazesa uDavida bona abe yikosi phezu kwendlu kaJuda.+
Bathi kuDavida: “Abantu beJabetjhi-Giliyadi ngibo ababulunge uSawula.”
5 Yeke uDavida wathumela iinthunywa ebantwini beJabetjhi-Giliyadi wathi kibo: “Kwanga uJehova anganibusisa, ngombana nitjengisile bona niyayithanda* ikosenu uSawula ngokuyibulunga.+
6 UJehova akanitjengise ithando* bekathembeke kini. Nami ngizonitjengisa umusa ngebanga lento eniyenzileko.+
7 Nje-ke izandla zenu aziqine begodu nibe nesibindi, ngombana ikosenu uSawula ihlongakele begodu indlu kaJuda izese mina bona ngibe yikosi phezu kwayo.”
8 Nanyana kunjalo, u-Abineri+ indodana kaNeri, induna yebutho lakaSawula, bekathethe indodana kaSawula u-Itjhi-Bhotjhethi+ wakhamba nayo bayamela eMarhanayimu+
9 wamenza ikosi phezu kweGiliyadi,+ kwama-Atjhuri, kweJizriyela,+ kwaka-Efrayimu,+ kwakaBhenjamini no-Israyeli woke.
10 U-Itjhi-Bhotjhethi indodana kaSawula, bekaneminyaka ema-40 nakathoma ukubusa kwa-Israyeli, wabusa iminyaka emibili. Nanyana kunjalo, indlu yakwaJuda yasekela uDavida.+
11 UDavida waba yikosi eRhebroni phezu kwendlu kaJuda iminyaka elikhomba neenyanga ezisithandathu.+
12 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi u-Abineri indodana kaNeri neensebenzi zaka-Itjhi-Bhotjhethi indodana kaSawula, baphuma eMarhanayimu+ baya eGibiyoni.+
13 UJowabi+ indodana kaTseruya+ neensebenzi zakaDavida baphuma bebahlangana nabo esizibeni seGibiyoni; esinye isiqhema sahlala nganeno kwesiziba, esinye sahlala ngakwelinye ihlangothi lesiziba.
14 Ekugcineni u-Abineri wathi kuJowabi: “Amasokana awasikime alwe* phambi kwethu.” UJowabi wathi: “Awasikime.”
15 Yeke kwasikima inani elilinganako layamela ngaphetjheya, bewali-12 wakwaBhenjamini nendodana kaSawula u-Itjhi-Bhotjhethi begodu bewali-12, avela eensebenzini zakaDavida.
16 Abambana ngeenhloko begodu omunye nomunye wahlaba ihlangothi lomuntu alwa naye ngesabula, awela phasi kanyekanye ahlongakala. Yeke indawo leyo, eseGibiyoni, yabizwa ngokuthi yiRhelikhathi Hatsidimi.
17 Ipi yaba budisi khulu ngelangelo begodu ekugcineni u-Abineri nabantu bakwa-Israyeli bahlulwa ziinsebenzi zakaDavida.
18 Nje-ke amadodana amathathu kaTseruya+ bewalapho, uJowabi,+ u-Abitjhayi+ no-Asaheli;+ u-Asaheli bekanebelo njengeqina emmangweni.
19 U-Asaheli wagijimisa u-Abineri begodu akhenge aphambukele ngesidleni namkha ngesinceleni nakagijimisa u-Abineri.
20 Lokha u-Abineri nakaqala ngemva kwakhe, wabuza wathi, “Nguwe loyo Asaheli?” Waphendula wathi, “Iye, ngimi.”
21 Yeke u-Abineri wathi kuye: “Phambukela ngesidleni namkha ngesinceleni, ubambe isokana linye begodu uzithathele nanyana yini kilo.” Kodwana u-Asaheli akhenge alise ukumgijimisa.
22 Yeke u-Abineri wabuyelela wathi ku-Asaheli: “Lisa ukungigijimisa. Kubayini kufuze ngikurhayile? Ngizomqalelwa ngubani umfowenu uJowabi?”
23 Kodwana wala ukulisa, yeke u-Abineri wamhlaba emathunjini ngesidunu somkhonto+ begodu umkhonto waphumela ngemva kwakhe, wawela lapho bewahlongakala. Woke umuntu bekajama isikhatjhana lokha nakafika endaweni lapha u-Asaheli awela bewahlongakalela kiyo.
24 Yeke uJowabi no-Abitjhayi bagijimisa u-Abineri. Ilanga nalitjhingako, bafika embundwini we-Ama, oqale iGiyarhi endleleni eya emmangweni weGibiyoni.
25 Abantu bakwaBhenjamini bahlangana ndawonye lapho ngemva kwaka-Abineri, benza isiqhema sinye, bajama phezu kombundu othileko.
26 Ngemva kwalokho, u-Abineri warhuwelela uJowabi wathi: “Kghani sizokuraga sibulalana ngokungapheliko na? Awazi na bona umphumela uzokuba matlhuwo wodwa? Uzobatjela nini abantwaba bona balise ukugijimisa abafowabo?”
27 UJowabi wathi: “Ngifunga ngoZimu weqiniso ophilako, ngathana akhenge ukhulume, abantu bebangeze balise ukugijimisa abafowabo bekube sekuseni.”
28 Nje-ke uJowabi wavuthela iphondo begodu abantu balisa ukugijimisa u-Israyeli, nepi yaphela.
29 U-Abineri nabantu bakhe bakhamba e-Araba+ ubusuku boke bamhlokho bebayama iJordani, bakhamba emrhobeni* ekugcineni bafika eMarhanayimu.+
30 Ngemva kokuthi uJowabi abuyile ekugijimiseni u-Abineri, wahlanganisa boke abantu ndawonye. Eensebenzini zakaDavida bekutjhoda abali-19 no-Asaheli.
31 Kodwana iinsebenzi zakaDavida bezihlule abantu bakwaBhenjamini nabantu baka-Abineri begodu bebama-360 abantu babo abahlongakeleko.
32 Zathatha u-Asaheli+ zambulunga ethuneni lakayise, eliseBhetlehema.+ Ngemva kwalokho, uJowabi nabantu bakhe bakhamba ubusuku boke bebayokufika eRhebroni+ ngamasa.
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Namkha “niyithanda ngokuthembekileko.”
^ Namkha “ithando elithembekileko.”
^ Namkha “aphalisane.”
^ Namkha kungenzeka “iBhithironi yoke.”
